
Don't forget about the MCS Express Food Truck this week! Today they're in Bluefield at the Greater Mt. Zion Pentecostal Church. Tomorrow at the First Christian Church across from Straley School, Wednesday at Matoaka Summer Day Camp at the Matoaka Fire Department, and Thursday at the Montcalm Volunteer Fire Department. Each day is from 11:00-12:30. Bring your kids for food and fun!


Even in the summer, our educators keep learning!
Several Mercer County Schools teachers and administrators are attending the Elevate Your Classroom conference in Nashville this week! 🎶👩🏫 They’re gaining fresh ideas, hands-on strategies, and research-based tools to bring back to their classrooms this fall.
💡 Summer might be a break for students, but for our dedicated staff, it’s an opportunity to grow, connect, and elevate instruction.
#MCSWV #ElevateYourClassroom #LifelongLearners #TeacherLeaders #NashvillePD #SummerLearning





📚🍼 Mercer County Schools was proud to participate in today’s Community Baby Shower in Princeton!
Brushfork Elementary’s former principal (now MCELC Principal) Emily Smith was on hand to represent MCS. Families received a bundle of 3 read-aloud books and helpful information about our Pre-K programs.
It’s never too early to start reading and learning together! 💙📖 #MCSPreK #ReadTogether #CommunityConnections #EarlyLearning


Today, Ms. Rhonda Rogers, Mrs. Pam Clark, and Dr. Ashley Vaughn proudly represented our district at the West Virginia Department of Education’s Unite with Numeracy Conference on June 12, 2025.
This powerful event brought together educators from across the state to collaborate, learn, and explore innovative strategies for strengthening math instruction and improving student outcomes. 💡📊
We’re grateful for their commitment to continuous growth and excellence in education—and we look forward to the new ideas and resources they’ll bring back to our classrooms! 👩🏫📚
#WVDE #UniteWithNumeracy #MathMatters #EducationLeaders #LifelongLearning



Policy G-38, Use of Cell Phones and Other Electronic Devices on School Property, is out for comment until July 2, 2025. Please send all comments to Dr. Kristal Filipek at kfilipek@k12.wv.us.
https://5il.co/3j5yi

Policy I-41, Mercer County Blended Robotics League, is out for comment until July 2, 2025. Please send all comments to Dr. Kristal Filipek at kfilipek@k12.wv.us.
https://5il.co/3j5sb

Policy I-49, Summer School, is out for comment until July 2, 2025. Please send all comments to Dr. Kristal Filipek at kfilipek@k12.wv.us.
https://5il.co/3j5hl

Mercer Mobile - Student Health on Wheels was back for another year of incredible impact! 🎉 Our second year was an even bigger success! 🚌🩺 We're so proud of our partnership with the Mercer County Health Department, bringing immunizations and sports physicals right to students in their schools. This year, we expanded to include 5th graders in addition to middle and high school students!
A HUGE thank you goes out to the LPN students from MCTEC, our dedicated school nurses and staff, and the wonderful providers. We couldn't do this vital work without your incredible support! It's all about increasing access to vital healthcare for our students, while reducing absences, so our students are healthy, ready to learn, and ready to play. Check out those amazing numbers below! 👇
#MercerMobile #StudentHealth #CommunityPartnership #MercerCounty #ThankYouMCTEC #SchoolNurses #HealthcareAccess


🎉🎒 That’s a wrap on another amazing school year! 🎉🎒
Today was full of smiles, high-fives, and maybe even a few happy dances. Our students closed out the year with fun, friends, and unforgettable memories. 💃🕺📸
Wishing all of our students a summer full of adventure, laughter, and plenty of sunshine! ☀️🌈🍦
We’ll see you back in August—rested, recharged, and ready to shine even brighter! 💫✏️📚
#LastDayOfSchool #SummerStartsNow #MCSStrong #SchoolIsOut #HelloSummer


🌟 Celebrating Excellence in Mercer County Schools! 🌟
At last night’s Mercer County Board of Education meeting, several outstanding individuals were recognized for going above and beyond!
👏 110% Club Inductees:
Michael Jones, Special Education Specialist
Melaina Whitt, Bluewell School
Chelsea Triplett & Kevin Lynch, Straley School
Leslie Wellman & Tom Adkins, Central Office
These employees consistently give their all to support students and staff across our district.
🤖 Robotics Leadership Recognition:
Derek Belcher, Kelli Stanley, Ashley Smith, and Jeff Richards were honored for their leadership and tireless behind-the-scenes work that keeps our Mercer County Robotics program running smoothly—from organizing competitions to ensuring teams have everything they need.
🧠 Academic Quiz Bowl Success:
Congratulations to Bluefield High School’s Academic Quiz Bowl Team—Quinn Brown, Alexander Hudgins, Cassandra Hibberd, Liam Dietz, Titus Holcomb, and Coach Taylor Bulson—for being four-time county champions and state runners-up in the West Virginia Academic Quiz Bowl!
🎉 Special Recognition:
Board President Greg Prudich received a surprise recognition for serving as head judge at Robotics competitions and for his ongoing support of our academic and extracurricular programs.
💜 Purple Star District Designation:
We are proud to announce that Mercer County Schools has been named a Purple Star District!
This honor recognizes our commitment to supporting military-connected students and their families. From enrollment to academic transitions and emotional support, we are dedicated to making sure every student—especially those in military families—feels welcomed, understood, and supported.
#MercerProud #PurpleStarDistrict #RoboticsLeadership #AcademicExcellence #110PercentClub #MCBOE









Bus 651 will not run today, Tuesday, June 10th. This affects Lashmeet Matoaka, PikeView Middle and PikeView High.

Timberwood Elementary Construction Update! 🏗️✨
We’re getting closer every day! Here’s what’s new this week:
✅ HVAC touchscreen controls installed
✅ Gym bleachers now in place
✅ Lockers installed on the 3rd–5th grade level
✅ Fresh pavement laid in the parent loop
✅ School name proudly affixed to the front of the building
✅ Playground area prepped and ready for equipment
We can’t wait to welcome students and families into this beautiful new space! Stay tuned for more updates. #TimberwoodElementary #BuildingTheFuture #MercerProud









UPDATED Bus information for Monday, June 9th:
Bus 653, which affects Melrose, Princeton Middle, Princeton High, PikeView Middle and PikeView High
Bus 657, which affects Brushfork, Bluefield Middle and Bluefield High.
Bus 659, which affects Bluefield Primary, Bluefield Intermediate, Bluefield Middle and Bluefield High.

Today, members of the West Virginia Department of Education Communications Team, Harrison Evans and Stuart Frazier, and Marshall University's Region VI Literacy Specialist Josie Groves, visited Princeton Primary School and Oakvale Elementary to witness the Science of Reading in action!
The team explored how the LETRS program (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling) is equipping our educators with the knowledge and tools to transform reading instruction in the early grades. LETRS is grounded in decades of scientific research and empowers teachers to help every student become a confident, skilled reader.
At Princeton Primary, the WVDE team interviewed Assistant Superintendent Dr. Ernie Adkins, Principal Kelli Stanley, 1st grade teachers Amber Woods and Rebekah Robinson, and Title I Reading Specialist Tara Pairgin.
At Oakvale Elementary, they spoke with Principal LaCosta Hodges and Kindergarten teacher Cartney Schoolcraft.
In Mercer County Schools, we are committed to staying at the forefront of research-based instructional strategies—ensuring students learn to read so they can eventually read to learn. Our teachers continuously engage in professional development and collaborate to be the best educators they can be for our students.
🎥 Stay tuned! A behind-the-scenes video of the interviews is coming soon, and we’ll share the WVDE’s finished feature at the end of the month. #ScienceOfReading #LETRS #MercerProud #WVPublicEd #LiteracyMatters



Bus update: bus 641 is now not running all day (the previous post stated only afternoon run cancelled). This affects Mountain Valley, Bluefield Middle and Bluefield High.

Bus 657 will not run today, Friday, June 6th. This affects Brushfork, Bluefield Middle and Bluefield High.

Additional bus information for today, Friday, June 6th:
Bus 639 will run this morning, but will NOT run this afternoon. This affects Athens, PikeView Middle and PikeView High.

EDIT: Bus 641 will not run at all today.
Bus information for Friday, June 6th: Bus 681 (formerly 630) will not run today. This affects Oakvale, PikeView Middle and PikeView High. Bus 641 will run this morning but NOT this afternoon. This affects Mountain Valley, Bluefield Middle and Bluefield High.

Bus Information for Thursday, June 5th:
Bus 684 will not run. This affects Bluefield Primary, Bluefield Intermediate, Bluefield Middle and Bluefield High
Bus 648 will not run. This affects Athens, Pikeview Middle and PikeView High
Bus 657 will run this morning but NOT this afternoon. This affects Brushfork, Bluefield Middle and Bluefield High
Bus 681 will run this morning, but NOT this afternoon. This affects Oakvale, PikeView Middle and PikeView High

🚔 Today, Superintendent Toman met with Princeton City Police Department’s new Chief, Ben Woodard. We’re grateful for the strong partnership between Mercer County Schools and our local law enforcement agencies. Former Chief Howell now serves as a School Resource Officer, continuing his commitment to student safety in a new role. We look forward to working closely with Chief Woodard to ensure our schools remain safe, supportive environments for every student. #OneMercer #SchoolSafety #CommunityPartners

